Air conditioning and industrial cooling systems typically make use of cooling towers to reject unwanted heat into the atmosphere. While cooling towers of various types may be utilized, wet (or evaporative) cooling towers are generally more efficient at heat removal, and accordingly are quite common in commercial and industrial applications. Such wet cooling towers generally cascade heated water over a “fill” material that provides for an enhanced water-to-air interface, allowing for increased evaporation and heat transfer. Cooled water is collected beneath the fill while heated, saturated air is expelled from the tower, usually via mechanical means such as a fan.
Even when water is filtered or treated, however, the fill material often becomes fouled with scaling and/or biological growth, both of which greatly diminish the ability of the cooling tower to efficiently expel heat. Proper cooling tower maintenance accordingly often includes a pre-rinse of the fill followed by application of chemical cleaners or inhibitors sprayed onto the fill material, and then a final rinse or wash of the fill to remove chemical residue along with dislodged and/or dissolved scale or biological materials. Such maintenance typically includes use of a specialized chemical sprayer to appropriately apply the chemical agents, followed by utilization of a high-pressure power-washing device to rinse and remove debris from the fill material.